Reviewed by Mark Lawrence

Mary Alessi, sister of Martha Munizzi, who guests on this album, leads an all star cast of American female singers, including Anointed's Da'dra Crawford Greathouse and one-time Southern gospel star Cindy Cruse Ratcliff, as they lead worship at the Covenant Church of Dallas. A selection of "classics" such as "As The Deer" and Michael W Smith's "Agnus Dei" sit alongside a number of Mary Alessi originals and get the power ballad treatment. Despite having a gospel edge the majority of the arrangements get this same middle-of-the road ballad treatment with theatric stylings that wouldn't sound out of place on a Celine Dion album! The live experience, as it is labelled on the CD cover, is obviously aimed at women and there are calls for women to come into God's presence and worship him, unfortunately this just adds to the rather staged feel about the whole thing. A glossy sound and top notch production also takes away from a truly live and spontaneous worship "experience" and the album feels more like it has been produced in a studio rather than recorded in front of a live audience. For fans of Mary Alessi and middle-of-the-road American worship music there is much here for them to enjoy.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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